This application claims the priority of German Patent Document 100 52 733, filed in Germany on Oct. 25, 2000, the disclosure of which is expressly incorporated by reference herein.
The invention relates to a holding device for a spare wheel of a motor vehicle.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,845,891 discloses a holding device for a spare wheel of a motor vehicle. The holding device is fastened externally on the rear of a motor vehicle body by way of spaced bearings which form a vertical swivel axis. The holding device can be swiveled from a fixing position into a release position so that there is the possibility of carrying out the swivel motion from the rear as far as up to the side wall.
The object of the invention is to provide an improved holding device for a spare wheel on the rear of the motor vehicle. The holding device can be released from a rear hatch and can be swiveled by itself alone in an optimal swivel range. The bearings of the holding device include components which are simple to assemble, can be retrofitted and can be disposed in the vehicle body so as to be largely covered.
The problem is solved, according to the invention, by providing support arms which are spaced apart and project from the wheel carrier and whose end sides thereof are connected to the bearings. The bearing are held on the vehicle body and form a vertical swivel axis which is arranged independently of a swivel axis of the rear hatch. The wheel carrier is swivellable about the swivel axis of the bearings up to the rear hatch into a fixing position and is held on a shock absorber cross member by way of a support member in a holding element and is freely swivellable from the rear hatch into a release position. Other advantageous features are disclosed in additional preferred embodiments.
The holding device for a spare wheel is provided on the rear hatch at the rear of the vehicle and has a holding device which comprises support arms which are spaced apart and project beyond the wheel carrier. The support arms are connected on the end side to bearings which are held on a motor vehicle body and form a vertical swivel axis. This vertical swivel axis is arranged independently of a swivel axis of the rear hatch so that the wheel carrier can be swiveled about this swivel axis up to the rear hatch into a fixing position and can assume a so-called release position in which the rear hatch can be swung up and down.
As a result of the design of the holding device having a vertical swivel axis which is disposed independently of the rear hatch, the rear hatch can be opened when the wheel carrier is swung away from the rear hatch about its vertical swivel axis. As a result, the rear hatch is not encumbered by the wheel carrier.
To guarantee the accommodation of the spare wheel, the wheel carrier comprises, for example, a so-called shell body, which is enveloped by a profiled frame and the support arms extend somewhat in extension of the top and bottom edge of the frame.
This design yields a stable wheel carrier, which can be disposed approximately in the center of the vehicle rear by way of the support arms which project beyond the shell body. The profiled frame can also comprise a tubular frame whereby the wheel carrier can also be made of something different than a shell body.
So that the swivel axis is arranged vertically on the vehicle, the upper bearing includes a bearing bracket with bolt boreholes forming the vertical swivel axis. The bearing bracket is covered in a side joint of the rear hatch in the vehicle body and is connected to a post of the vehicle body by way of a holding angle. The bolt boreholes run on the rear-sided exterior of the post. The holding angle can be fastened with its one attachment leg for the bearing bracket to an inside wall surface of the post and with its other holding leg to the outside wall surface of the post.
So that the bearing bracket can be covered in a joint between the vehicle post (D-post) and the rear hatch, the body post includes an insertion opening in order to dispose on the inside of the attachment leg of the holding angle. The connection of the bearing bracket to the holding angle is achieved in a simple manner in that the bearing bracket includes a projecting arm, which corresponds to the mounting bracket of the holding angle and to which a bearing segment exhibiting a U-shaped cross section is attached. This bearing segment includes bearing plates, which are vertically spaced and in which there are bolt boreholes, and whose rear side rests true to shape against the outer surface of the body post. To cover the bearing bracket, the post is enveloped by a cover element, which can be slid on and which includes an opening for the support arm and whose one rear-sided face rests sealingly against the outer wall surface of the post of the vehicle body.
The top bearing can be retrofitted in a simple manner in the vehicle or already provided during construction of the vehicle, whereby then only the holding angle is connected to the D-post of the vehicle body.
The bottom bearing comprises in essence a bearing bracket connected to the vehicle body and a hinge element mounted on the support arm. The bearing bracket includes a rear-sided mounting plate and adjacent bracket plates, which are spaced relative to each other, with bolt boreholes for the vertical swivel axis. Between the bracket plates an installable hinged lever is mounted on slide bushings of a hinge bolt so as to swivel. This bearing is largely covered by shock absorbers so that the actual vertical swivel axis is also covered. The support arm is connected to the hinge element and lies embedded in the fixing position in a cover.
The bottom and top bearing are designed in such a manner that prior to opening the rear hatch, the holding device is swung so far about a horizontal axis outwardly about the vertical axis until the rear hatch can move freely.
To facilitate the swivel motion in the direction of the fixing position and in the direction of the release position, the bottom bearing exhibits at least one pneumatic spring, which, on the one hand, is braced against the bearing bracket and, on the other hand, against the hinge element or is connected to the same. As a result of this arrangement of the pneumatic spring with a direction of effect outside the vertical swivel axes in the fixing and release position, a swivel motion into these two positions is facilitated, because in the fixing position of the wheel a maximum closing torque is achieved with a lever arm, and in the case of a swivel motion of the wheel carrier in the direction of the release positionxe2x80x94after passing through a dead point positionxe2x80x94a maximum swivel torque is also achieved.
In addition, the bottom bearing can also be secured at the stop element by way of a locking element in the end position of the release position. To this end, the end side of the hinge element exhibits a stop groove, with which a moveable locking element engages in the release position and which is designed so as to be unlockable in order to swivel the hinge element with the wheel carrier from the release position into the fixing position. The locking element comprises preferably a swivellable lever, whose free end engages with the stop groove. The lever is actuated preferably by way of a bolt, which can be actuated for the purpose of rotating.
To support and lock the holding device in the fixing position, a box-shaped holding element, into which a support member of the wheel carrier can be inserted so as to hold in the fixing position, is connected to a shock absorber cross member. The holding element has a rotary latch lock, which engages with a bolt of the support member. The rotary latch lock can be locked and unlocked by way of actuating means.
By way of this holding element, the holding device for the spare wheel is braced, on the one hand, against the vehicle and, on the other hand, held securely.
When the holding device is not being used, it can be unscrewed, by removing, for example, the hinge bolts or by unscrewing the bearing brackets.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.